§ 11. Mr. Nabarroasked the Minister of Fuel and Power what progress has been made in his negotiations with Electricité de France for laying a subterranean cross-Channel power cable; and whether he will make a statement.
§ The Minister of Fuel and Power (Mr. Geoffrey Lloyd)Yes, Sir. The scheme being considered involves the laying of three or four electric submarine cables across the Channel capable of transferring a total of 100,000 kilowatts of power at 132,000 volts. Last year I approved a proposal of the British Electricity Authority that they should co-operate with Electricité de France in a programme of experiment and development. This work is progressing well; sample lengths of special cables have been constructed and I am informed that cable laying trials will be carried out this summer.
§ Mr. NabarroIn view of the extraordinary success in the war years of Pluto, which is similar in principle, and the fact that a pipeline was then evolved and manufactured in a period of slightly over two years from start to finish, can my right hon. Friend say when a subterranean electricity cable of this kind can be brought into use?
§ Mr. LloydI well remember the impulse that was given by the Prime Minister to that work at that time. It is different in peace-time, when one has to have co-operation between two nationalised undertakings in different countries, but the work is proceeding very well and I understand that the programme of research and development will be finished next year.
Colonel ClarkeIf and when this system is instituted, will it be a two-way traffic by which we may receive electricity or transmit it?
§ Mr. PalmerWould the Minister not agree that the technical problems involved in this matter are vastly different from those that were involved in Pluto?
§ Mr. LloydYes, Sir, because the one cable contained petroleum and the other, we hope, will contain electricity.